Hospitality for Everyone

“Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.” (I Peter 4:9, ESV)

When I think of hospitality, I think of my mother. She was happiest when cooking a meal for someone or finding some small gift to give them as they left our home. I can’t remember Mom ever displaying “grumbling hospitality.” She just loved people and enjoyed offering hospitality. I can’t say the same about myself. As a child, my mom’s hospitality meant I slept on the couch when overnight guests were given my bedroom.

According to dictionary.com, hospitality is “the friendly reception and treatment of guests or strangers.” The New Testament Greek word translated hospitality means “love of strangers.” Hospitality isn’t just receiving people into your home; it’s loving them too.

As I searched out passages in the Bible on hospitality, I found several different types of guests mentioned.

Fellow Believers and Friends

In I Peter 4:8-10, we see the phrases “among yourselves” and “one to another.” This speaks of hospitality among the believers, our brothers and sisters in the Lord. Acts 2:44-47 says the believers “broke bread from house to house” and ate “with gladness and singleness of heart.” These times of fellowship helped them form strong bonds of love and service. They cared for each other and took care of each other. (Also read Romans 12:13.)

Strangers

Hebrews 13:2 tells us, “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares” (ESV). This is a little difficult for many of us. We are not as comfortable opening our home to someone we may not know well. We are often cautious of people we do not know, but this may be a divine appointment orchestrated by God. Follow His promptings.

Other Cultures and Nations

Leviticus 19:33-34 says, “And if a stranger dwells with you in your land, you shall not mistreat him. The stranger who dwells among you shall be to you as one born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God” (NKJV).

This was not just an Old Testament command. God asks all of us to treat those of another culture or nation with kindness and consideration. In Acts 10, the gospel opened to Gentiles when God sent Peter to Cornelius, a Roman soldier. The gospel was for the alien as well as the Jew. Peter said, “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him” (verses 34-35, ESV). God can use your spirit of hospitality to reach souls.

The Least of These

It’s easy to be hospitable to friends and loved ones, but God asks us to show hospitality and kindness to everyone. Matthew 25:35-40 illustrates how we are to reach beyond our immediate circle of friends.

“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me . . . Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me” (ESV).

Luke 14:13-14 expands on this thought. “But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just” (ESV).

Hospitality Is Love in Action

As we can see from God’s Word, hospitality is so much more than having our best friend over for dinner. Hospitality means showing the love of God to all those around us. It is treating those God places in our path with kindness and compassion.

Biblical hospitality means showing God’s love to everyone.

Leave a comment. Tell us about a time someone showed hospitality to you. Did it make you feel loved and included? Have you had the opportunity to show hospitality to a stranger or someone of a different culture? Share your experiences with us.